This invention relates to an electrical conductor support insulator for supporting an electrical conductor.
FIG. 11 is a side view illustrating a manner in which a main circuit conductor within a switchgear is supported by a conventional conductor support insulator hereinafter referred to as the first conventional insulator). In FIG. 11, the reference numeral 11 is an electrically insulating support insulator, and a bushing 12 with a female thread therein is provide at the upper and the lower end portions of the conductor support insulator 11. The lower end portion of the conductor support insulator 11 is secured to a support frame 14 by a bolt 13 thread-engaged into the bushing 12. Also, a main circuit conductor 15 disposed within a switchgear is mounted to the conductor support insulator 11 by a bolt 16 thread-engaged with the bushing 12.
In supporting the main circuit conductor 15 disposed within the switchgear, the conductor support insulator 11 is secured to the support frame 14 by the bolt 13, forming in the main circuit conductor 15 a mounting hole through which the bolt 16 is passed, and the main circuit conductor 15 is secured by the bolt 16 directly to the conductor support insulator 11.
FIG. 12 is a side view illustrating another manner in which a main circuit conductor within a switchgear is supported by a conventional conductor support insulator (hereinafter referred to as the second conventional insulator). In FIG. 12, the reference numeral 21 is an electrically insulating support insulator, and a bushing 22 with a female thread therein is provide at the upper and the lower end portions of the conductor support insulator 21. The lower end portion of the conductor support insulator 21 is secured to a support frame 23 by through the bushing 22. At the upper end portion of the conductor support insulator 21, an L-shaped support metal fitting 24 is secured by the bolt 25 thread-engaged into the bushing 22. Also, a main circuit conductor 26 disposed within a switchgear is mounted to the support metal fitting 24 by a bolt.
In supporting the main circuit conductor 26 disposed within the switchgear, the conductor support insulator 21 is secured to the support frame 23 and mounting the support metal fitting 24 to the conductor support insulator 21 by the bolt 25, forming in the main circuit conductor 26 a mounting hole through which the bolt 27 is passed, and the main circuit conductor 26 is secured by the bolt 27 to the support metal fitting 24.
With the conventional conductor support insulator, the main circuit conductor was supported as above described, so that, when the main circuit conductors 15 or 26 disposed within a switchgear is to be supported, a mounting hole must be formed in the main circuit conductor 15 or 26 both in the first and the second conventional insulators, Also, in the second conventional insulator the support metal fitting 24 must be used.
Further, both in the first and the second conventional insulators, the bushing 12 or 22 must be embedded within the conductor support insulator 11 or 21, thus increasing the cost and, when the main circuit conductor 15 or 26 which is an insulated conductor is to be supported, the bushings 12 or 22 are at intermediate potential which may lead to the insulation breakdown, causing a problem of failure in maintaining a necessary electrical insulation performance. Therefore, to cope with this problem, the insulation is removed from the fixed portion to make it at the same potential as the bare live portions but this raises another problem of difficulty in decreasing the space insulation distance with respect to the main circuit conductors in other phases and the grounded metal.
Further, in the first conventional insulator, when the conductor support insulator 11 is to be mounted to the support frame 14, the bolt 13 must be inserted and thread-engaged in the insulator from the back side of the support frame 14, resulting in a difficult and inefficient operability .
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstance and has as its object the provision of an electrical conductor support insulator in which, by providing a hole that can pass and support a plurality of kinds of conductors, no bushing is provided and no securing member such as bolt and support metal fitting is needed and in which various kinds of electrical conductors can be simply and easily supported.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an electrical conductor support insulator in which the step portion is made to have a cross-shaped cross section, whereby the amount of the insulating material to be used can be reduced and the cost can be decreased.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an electrical conductor support insulator in which one portion of the mounting portion to be secured to an external member such as the support frame or the like is formed into a slot having a U-shape, whereby the assembly efficiency can be improved.
With the above objects in view, the electrical conductor support insulator of the present invention is provided with a hole for passing therethrough and supporting an electrical conductor.
In this electrical conductor support insulator, one or a plurality of conductors are passed through and supported in the hole. Therefore, the conductors disposed within a switchgear can be easily supported without using a special member such as the bolt or the support metal fitting as used in the conventional insulator. Also, no bushing is used, so that the space insulation distance can be reduced and the insulated conductor can be held as it is.
An edge of the hole may be formed into a curved configuration in which patterns are partially different for passing through and supporting a plurality of electrical conductors of different configurations.
With this electrical conductor support insulator, the hole configuration is selected so that its fits to various kinds of conductors. Therefore the various conductors can be supported and various conductor arrangements within the switchgear can be realized.
The configuration of a stem portion may have a cross-shaped cross section.
With this electrical conductor support insulator, the stem portion of the insulator may have a cross section of the cross-shape in order to maintain the strength. Therefore, the insulating material used can be reduced as compared to the stem of cylindrical shape.
A fixed portion for being fixed to an external body may be provided, and one portion of the fixed portion may be formed into a slit of a U-shape.
With this electrical conductor support insulator, the fixed portion to be fixed to the external body may be formed into the slit of the U-shape. Therefore, the mounting operation of the conductor support insulator to the external body can be achieved from the insulator side, resulting in an improvement in the operation efficiency.